Corn. But if a man can frame himselfe to myrth, It is a meane for to prolong his life.

Leir. Then welcome forrow, Leirs only friend, Who doth defire his troubled dayes had end.

Corn. Comfort your felfe, father, here comes your daughter, Who much will grieue, I know, to see

Enter Gonorill.

you fad.

Leir. But more doth grieue, I feare, to fee me liue.
Corn. My Gonorill, you come in wished time,

To put your father from these penfiue dumps.
In fayth, I feare that all things go not well.

Gon. What, do you feare, that I haue angred him?
Hath he complaynd of me vnto my lord?

Ile prouide him a piece of bread and cheese;
For in a time heele practife nothing else,
Then carry tales from one vnto another.
Tis all his practife for to kindle ftrife,
'Twixt you, my lord, and me your louing wife :
But I will take an order, if I can,

To cease th' effect, where first the cause began.
Corn. Sweet, be not angry in a partiall cause,
He ne're complayn'd of thee in all his life.
Father, you must not weygh a woman's words,

Leir. Alas, not I: poore foule, fhe breeds yong bones,

And that is it makes her fo tutchy fure.

Gon. What, breeds young bones already! you will make

An honeft woman of me then, belike.

O vild olde wretch! who euer heard the like,
That feeketh thus his owne child to defame ?
Corn. I cannot stay to heare this discord found.
Gon. For any one that loues your company,

Mm 3

Exit.

You

You may go pack, and feeke fome other place,
To fowe the feed of difcord and difgrace.

Leir. Thus, fay or do the beft that e're I can,
Tis wrefted ftraight into another fence,
This punishment my heauy finnes deferue,

And more then this ten thoufand thousand times :
Elfe aged Leir them could neuer find

Cruell to him, to whom he hath bin kind.

Why do I ouer-liue my felfe, to fee

The courfe of nature quite reuerft in me?
Ah, gentle death, if euer any wight

Did wish thy prefence with a perfit zeale :

Then come, I pray thee, euen with all my heart,
And end my forrowes with thy fatall dart.

Per. Ah, do not fo difconfolate your felfe, Nor dew your aged cheeks with wafting teares. Leir. What man art thou that takest any pity Vpon the worthleffe ftate of old Leir?

Exit.

He weeper.

Per. One, who doth beare as great a fhare of griefe, As if it were my dearest fathers cafe.

Leir. Ah, good my friend, how ill art thou aduifde,

For to confort with miferable men :

Go learne to flatter, where thou mayft in time

Get fauour 'mongst the mighty, and fo clyme:
For now I am fo poore and full of want,

As that I ne're can recompence thy loue.

Per. What's got by flattery, doth not long indure;
And men in fauour liue not most secure.
My confcience tels me, if I fhould forfake you,
I were the hatefulft excrement on the earth :
Which well do know, in courfe of former time,
How good my lord hath bin to me and mine,

Leir. Did I ere rayfe thee higher then the rest Of all thy ancestors which were before?

Per. Ine're did feeke it; but by your good grace, I still inioyed my owne with quietnesse.

Leir. Did I ere giue thee liuing, to increase The due reuennues which thy father left?

Per. I had ynough, my lord, and hauing that, What should you need to giue me any more? Leir. Oh, did I euer difpoffeffe my felfe,

And giue thee halfe my kingdome in good will?

Per. Alas, my lord, there were no reason, why
You should haue fuch a thought, to giue it me.
Leir. Nay, if thou talke of reafon, then be mute;
For with good reafon I can thee confute.
If they, which firft by natures facred law,
Do owe to me the tribute of their liues;
If they to whom I alwayes haue bin kinde,
And bountifull beyond comparifon;
If they, for whom I haue vndone my felfe,
And brought my age vnto this extreme want,
Do now reiect, contemne, defpife, abhor me,
What reafon moueth thee to forrow for me?

Per. Where reafon fayles, let teares confirme my loue,
And fpeake how much your paffions do me moue.
Ah, good my lord, condemne not all for one:
You haue two daughters left, to whom I know
You shall be welcome, if you please to go.

Leir. Oh, how thy words adde forrow to my foule,
To thinke of my vnkindnesse to Cordella!
Whom caufeleffe I did difpoffeffe of all.
Vpon th' vnkind fuggestions of her fifters :
And for her fake, I thinke this heauy doome
Is falne on me, and not without defert:
Yet vnto Ragan was I alwayes kinde,

And gaue to her the halfe of all I had :
It may be, if I should to her repayre,
She would be kinder, and intreat me fayre.

Per. No doubt fhe would, and practife ere't be long,
By force of armes for to redreffe your wrong.

Leir. Well, fince thou doest aduise me for to go, I am refolu'd to try the worst of wo.

Enter Ragan folus.

Rag. How may I bleffe the howre of my natiuity,
Which bodeth vnto me fuch happy ftarres!

How may I thank kind fortune, that vouchsafes
To all my actions, fuch defir'd euent!
I rule the king of Cambria as I please:
The states are all obedient to my will;
And looke what ere I fay, it fhall be fo;
Not any one, that dareth answere no,
My eldest fifter liues in royall state,
And wanteth nothing fitting her degree:
Yet hath fhe fuch a cooling card withall,
As that her hony fauoureth much of gal!.
My father with her is quarter-mafter still,
And many times reftraynes her of her will:
But if he were with me, and feru'd me fo,
Ide fend him packing fome where else to go.
Ide entertayne him with fuch flender coft,
That he should quickly wish to change his host.

Enter Cornwall, Gonorill, and attendants.

Excunt.

Exit.

Corn. Ah, Gonorill, what dire vnhappy chaunce

Hath fequeftred thy father from our prefence,

That no report can yet be heard of him?

Some

Some great vnkindneffe hath bin offred him,
Exceeding far the bounds of patience :

Elfe all the world shall neuer me perfwade,
He would forfake vs without notice made.

Gon. Alas, my lord, whom doth it touch fo neere,
Or who hath interest in this griefe, but I,

Whom forrow had brought to her longeft home,
But that I know his qualities fo well?
I know, he is but ftolne vpon my fister
At vnawares, to fee her how the fares,
And spend a little time with her, to note

How all things goe, and how fhe likes her choyce :
And when occafion ferues, heele fteale from her,
And vnawares returne to vs agayne.

Therefore, my lord, be frolick, and refolue
To fee my father here agayne e're long.

Corn. I hope fo too; but yet to be more fure,
Ile fend a pofte immediately to know

Whether he be arriued there or no.

Gon. But I will intercept the messenger,

And temper him before he doth depart,

With sweet perfwafions, and with found rewards,
That his report fhall ratify my speech,

And make my lord cease further to inquire.
If he be not gone to my fifters court,

As fure my mind prefageth that he is,

He happely may, by trauelling vnknowne wayes,
Fall ficke, and as a common paffenger,

Be dead and buried: would God it were fo well;
For then there were no more to do, but this,
He went away, and none knowes where he is.
But fay he be in Cambria with the king,
And there exclayme against me, as he will:
I know he is as welcome to my fifter,

Exit.

As